Safety and Safe Working in Labs

1. Safety and
safe working in labs
Safety instructions
by Christian Huber
adapted by I. Gratz
2016
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2. Department of Molecular Biology
Lab safety matters!!
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3. Department of Molecular Biology
Dangers for people
F+
Buchenholzstaub
(krebserzeugend)
Substances can pose danger for people based on their properties:
Danger of fire and explosion
 Burns of the skin
 Poisoning by smoke gas
 Mechanical injuries by a blast wave
Poisonous and corrosive (ätzend)
 Severe damage to the health (potentially lethal) by
swallowing, inhalation or resorption via the skin
 Damage of (skin) tissue by corrosive substances
 Irritation of the respiratory system by corrosive gases
Chemicals harmful to health and irritating
 Irritation of skin, eyes or respiratory system
 Risk of cancer caused by swallowing, inhaling or resorption
via the skin
 Mutations
 Impairment of fertility
 Acute poisoning by toxic substances
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4. Department of Molecular Biology
Safety signs
Safety signs serve to prevent accidents and provide safety in the work
space. There are the following safety signs that are color coded:
• Fire safety: indicate appliances to fight or signal fire
• Rescue and first aid: indicate escape routes or first aid appliances
• Instructions: indicate the necessity to behave a certain way to prevent
accidents
• Prohibition: indicate the necessity to avoid certain behavior to prevent
accidents
• Warnings: indicate dangers in specific situations
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5. Department of Molecular Biology
Rescue and first aid
E01
Guidepost for escape
routes, emergency
exits, or first aid
appliances
E03
First aid
E05
Emergency shower
E06
Eye rinse
E13
Emergency route
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• Signs in a room or building that
designate the escape route or
first aid appliances
• Each individual that is new in a
room or building has to inform
themselves about escape routes
and first aid appliances
• In case of emergency individuals
that are safe have to report to
the responsible person of the lab
(PI) or the rescue team to
identify missing persons for
rescue

6. Department of Molecular Biology
Instructions
M07 wear PPE M01 wear eye protection
M06 wear gloves
M13 pull plug
before opening
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• Signs that give instructions about a
work space or whole room/lab
(when posted on the door) to put
certain safety precautions in place.
• The safety precautions are
determined by the potential hazard
of an action (i.e. lab coats are
appropriate for normal chemical
work; full personal protective
equipment (PPE) is required for
working with highly infectious
material).
• The obligation to wear PPE is not
limited by time or the actual work
you are doing.

7. Department of Molecular Biology
Warning signs
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• Signs that inform you about
hazardous substances or other risks
in a room or work space.
• When working in a room with safety
signs you have to:
 Avoid open fire, sources of ignition,
flammable substances.
 Wear adequate PPE (gloves, eye
protection, lab coat, full PPE, gas
mask, insulating shoes,...) or work in a
fume hood – depending on the
specific hazard potential of the used
substances.
 Secure gas containers; store
substances in safety cabinet
W01 warning
flammable substances
W04 warning
Corrosive/etching substances
W19 warning
gas containers
W03 warning
poisonous substances
W08 warning
hazardous electrical
voltage
W05 warning
radioactive or ionizing
radiation

8. Department of Molecular Biology
Prohibition signs
P01 No smoking P02 Fire, open flame
and smoking prohibited
P06 No access for
unauthorized persons
P19 No food and
drinks
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• These signs are placed at a work
station or at the door and inform
about prohibitions in the respective
area (i.e. the work station or the
whole laboratory)
• Prohibitions are always in place
irrespective of the work currently
performed in the work area.
• Smoking, eating or drinking as well
as the storage of food are always
prohibited in laboratory areas. Even
if no specific prohibition signs are
in place.
Do not use elevator
in case of fire

9. Department of Molecular Biology
Labelling of harmful substances
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GHS. Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling
GHS, as of 20. 1. 2009 Substance - and preparation guidelines
Picto-
gram
Danger rating code Symbol Harzard information Code letter
Unstable explosive
substances, compound and
products with explosives,
auto-reactive compaunds
and mixtures, organic
peroxides
GHS01 Explosive E
Highly flammable,
self-reactive substances,
pyrophoric, organic
peroxides
GHS02 Highly/Extremely flammable F / F+
Oxidizing gas,
may cause or intensify fire
GHS03
Oxidizing,
Contact with combustible
material may cause fire
O
Compressed gas
liquified gas
dissolved gas
Refridgerated liquified gas
GHS04 No equivalent

10. Department of Molecular Biology
Labelling of harmful substances
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GHS, as of 20. 1. 2009 Substance - and preparation guidlines
Pictogram Danger rating Code Symbol Harzard information Code letter
Metal corrosive,
Corrosive to skin and eyes
GHS05 Corrosive C
Acute toxicity GHS06
(Very) toxic by inhalation
(Very) toxic in contact with
skin
(Very) toxic if swallowed
T / T+
Warning, acute toxicity GHS07 No equivalent
Respiratory sensitizer,
Germ cell mutagenicity,
Carcinogenicity,
Reproductive toxicity,
Specific target organ
toxicity (STOT)
GHS08 No equivalent
Environmentally
dangerous, poorly
degradable
GHS09
Dangerous for the
environment
N
No equivalent
Harmful by inhalation
Harmful in contact with skin
Harmful if swallowed
Xn / Xi

11. Department of Molecular Biology
H(azard) and P(recautions) sentences
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• H / P 3-number codes
 P264 wash hands after use.
 P280 wear PPE.
 P261 avoid inhalation of vapors/steam/aerosols.
 P285 wear breathing protection if ventilation is insufficient.
 P273 do not release into environment.
 P390 clean up spills to avoid damage to material.
 P302+P352 AT SKIN CONTACT: wash with lots of water and soap.
 P332+P313 skin irritation: seek medical aid.
 P305+P351+P338 AT EYE CONTACT: gently rinse with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses.
Continue rinsing.
 P310 immediately call poison hotline or doctor.
 P304+P341 after inhalation: find fresh air, find a position that allows easy breathing.
 P342+P311 with respiratory symptoms: immediately call poison hotline or doctor.
 P406 store In container resistant to corrosion.
 P501 dispose content or container as special, hazardous waste.

12. Department of Molecular Biology
• Food and drinks
• Eating or drinking is prohibited in labs with poisonous, mutagenig or infectious
materials.
• Do not use containers usually used for food or drinks for storing chemicals.
• No smoking in labs.
• Noise protection
Noise protection may be necessary if devices louder than 85dB(A) are used for
prolonged time.
• Wash hands after work, before breaks and before eating and drinking
• Wear gloves: When working with poisonous and/or irritating substances.
• Use skin protection whenever necessary.
• Work and home clothes should be stored separately.
Health risks and general hygiene
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13. Department of Molecular Biology
Fire safety signs
F03 fire hose F05 fire extinguisher
F07 Means and devices
to fight fire
F08 fire detector
(manual)
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• Signs indicate fire safety devices.
• Every individual working in the area has
to locate devices before working.
• In case of fire emergency:
 Alert (Who is talking? What
happened? Where is help needed?
Point out special circumstances)
 Safe (yourself, others, alert others)
 Extinguish

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Prohibitions
• Substances with concerning properties:
- Carcinogenic, mutagenic substances, or substances toxic for reproduction („CMR-
substances“), e.g. dibutyl phthalate, cobalt dichloride, sodium dichromate
- (Highly) persistent or bio-accumulating substances with toxic properties (so
called persistent, bioaccumulating, toxic (PBT-) or. Very persistent and very
bioaccumulative vPvB- compounds), e.g. anthracene, musk xylene
- In specific cases substances with concerning properties (e.g. hormones)
• These substances are under limited approval by the European Chemical Agency
• Use replacements if possible.
• Permission is issued for specific applications only.
• The following law defines special protection of specific groups such as youth, pregnant
or breast-feeding women:
- Regulations for restrictions or prohibitions to employ juveniles (KJBG-VO)
- Maternity protection law (MSchG)

15. Department of Molecular Biology
Personal protection equipment
The eye is the most vulnerable organ.
Damage possible:
- mechanical insult (dust, splinters,...)
- Insults by liquids (solvents, acids, bases,...)
- Radiation (UV, light, IR-light,...)
EN 166 and ZH1/703 rules for personal eye protection.
Wear eye protection.
Normal shades do no replace safety goggles!
Eye rinse devices have to be tested regularly.
Every (minor) injury has to be reported to an eye doctor. Dangers can result from
slowly resorbing substances or infections of the eye.
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16. Department of Molecular Biology
Personal protection equipment (PPE)
Adjust your PPE to the work you are doing
best protection and at the same time
make sure you are comfortable
and the PPE is easily cleaned.
Wear PPE when you work with substances that can
harm your skin or enter your body.
In a chemical laboratory are always substances present that warrant wearing a
lab coat.
Wear closed shoes.
Wear special full PPE when working with especially dangerous substances
(single use overall)
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17. Department of Molecular Biology
Personal protection equipment
• PPE is provided by employer.
• Wear PPE when your work has the risk to
break your skin and substances can enter your body.
• Wear eye protection when your work has the risk to
mechanically damage the eye (glass and metal splinters,
capillaries) and when you work with corrosive substances, that
means in every laboratroy irrespecitve of the work you
currently perform.
• Always wear a lab coat because corrosive substances are
always present in chemical/biologic laboratories.
• Your shoes have to be must be solid and tightly closed.
• During especially dangerous work wear special PPE (e.g. single-
use overall coats)
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• Not wearing PPE is a refusal of work regulations – your employer is are obligated to
protect your safety and needs your cooperation.
• Not wearing PPE can be „gross negligence“
• PIs are responsible for enforcement of lab rules.

18. Department of Molecular Biology
Personal protection equipment
• PPE to protect your skin has to be appropriate for the
respective dangerous substance (gases, liquids, solids).
Several classes of gloves can be used in addition to
prophylactic skin protective cream and follow-up
treatments.
• Unfortunately, there is no universal glove for all hazardous
substances. There are special gloves made from particular
materials for several substances that will protect against
one class of substances very well but poorly or not at all
against others.
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• Reasons against wearing gloves at all times:
• You run the risk of inadvertently contaminating places that you do not suspect such as
door handles, windows, fridges, the phone, computer keyboards and other technical
devices.
• Gloves create a damp milieu that can damage the skin.

19. Department of Molecular Biology
Tidiness and cleanliness
• Tidiness and cleanliness are essential when working with hazardous
materials.
• Remove obstacles from floors.
• Containers for hazardous substances have
to be closed tightly right after use.
• Hazardous substances that will not
be needed any more on that day have
to be placed back into storage.
• Avoid unnecessary contamination
of devices.
• Clean the work space with the appropriate
cleaning aids/detergents.
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20. Department of Molecular Biology
S1/S2 waste disposal
• Particularly TC-waste, viral or bacterial waste
• Treat liquid waste from human material with Korsolex (1%) and NaOH
• Collect all liquid waste in collection bottle daily
• Autoclave all waste from human tissues (blood and skin cells) and from
genetically altered mice
• Use autoclavable bins
• Use designated hoods for your work – minimize cross contamination
• Separate harmless waste from S1/S2 waste to minimize autoclave waste
• Implement a log book for all S1 and S2 work
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21. Department of Molecular Biology
Disposal of lab chemicals
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22. Department of Molecular Biology
Further resources
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23. Department of Molecular Biology
Safety features in all lab spaces (e.g. tissue
culture, flow room and the animal facility)
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• Familiarize yourself with the safety features of every work environment
• Where are the next emergency exits? (You always want to know two
routes)
• Where are eye flush and first aid kits?
• Where is the next fire extinguisher?

24. Department of Molecular Biology
Safety measurements in our lab
hallway
Fire blanket
x!
emergency
„power off“
First aid kit
Eye rinse
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25. Department of Molecular Biology
Escape routes and fire extinguishers
N
S
Toward pond
Stiege 9
Stiege 10
Toward main entrance
Our lab
Gang
1st floor
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26. Department of Molecular Biology
Escape routes and fire extinguishers
N
S
Toward pond
Stiege 9
Stiege 10
Toward main entrance
Our lab
Gang
1st floor
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